Kansas State stymies Rice's late-game rally for 7-6 win

By Hall     5/14/09 7:00pm

The two winners of yesterday's games, Rice (40-16) and Kansas State (43-16), squared off Saturday night in Game 4 of the 2009 NCAA Houston Regional. It was a tight, back-and-forth battle, but Kansas State staved off an impressive Rice comeback to come out on top 7-6 and move to 2-0 in the regional.. Action started early for the Owls when the leadoff hitter, junior second baseman Brock Holt, singled up the middle to start the game. Sophomore shortstop Rick Hague followed up with a hit that skipped under the third baseman's glove.

Those two set the stage for junior catcher Diego Seastrunk, who launched a deep drive to right center that barely stayed in the park, scoring Holt. The star of last night's game, sophomore right fielder Chad Mozingo, hit into a fielder's choice and barely missed becoming the third out at first base, allowing Seastrunk to score for a 2-0 Rice lead.

"It was a very good, intense game," Kansas State coach Brad Hill said. "They [were] right on us from the very beginning."

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Fourteenth-ranked Kansas State struck back in the top of the second. Rice starter Ryan Berry (7-1) retired five men in a row to start the game, but shortstop Drew Biery broke that up with a double to right field. The next batter, right fielder Jordan Cruz, singled to right for a 2-1 score.

Junior centerfielder Steven Sultzbaugh, who finished with a team-leading three hits, opened the bottom of the frame by lining a ball behind first base that dropped just inside the line for a long single. He moved to third after two groundouts and scored on a wild pitch to bump the Owls' lead back to two.

The scoring didn't stop in the third, however. In the top of the frame, designated hitter Adam Muenster singled, stole second base and scored on another single off the bat of left fielder Nick Martini.

Then for the Wildcats in the sixth, second baseman Carter Jurica started off with a single and soon moved to second on a groundout. After advancing to third on an error by Berry, he scored on a long sacrifice fly by first baseman Justin Bluxom to tie the game at three.

"As a team we need to execute better," Seastrunk said. "We have lapses that shouldn't be happening, we need to focus more."

With two outs in the sixth, Sultzbaugh lined a ball to right that went straight through the legs of Cruz for a two-base error. Senior first baseman Jimmy Comerota attempted a bunt to no avail, and the game remained tied for Wildcat starter A.J. Morris (14-1), who finished with a complete game and 144 pitches.

There was consensus among both head coaches regarding Morris and his performance.

"He's a mature pitcher," Coach Wayne Graham said. "He's got good stuff and even when he's tired he can sink the ball and hit spots."

Hill agreed, saying his team never gave in.

"I thought A.J. did an outstanding job maintaining composure," he said. "Our guys hung in there, peck away and get one and get one."

In the game's first pivotal point, Kansas State had two runners on base with no outs in the seventh. Berry worked out of the jam, however, until Bluxom's solo shot with two men gone in the eighth for the Wildcats' first lead of the game, 4-3, one that they would never relinquish.

Berry left after eight innings of work and 125 pitches. Three earned runs, no walk and six strikeouts completed his line, along with his first loss of the season.

The righthander attributed his problem to his control and pitch selection.

"I couldn't locate a fastball," Berry said. "I got in a pattern which is never a good thing in baseball. . [With] my lack of being able to throw the fastball inside, if you're eliminating one pitch you're not going to have many options."

He was relieved by sophomore Matt Evers, who was thrown straight into the fire when Kansas State loaded the bases with two outs and Martini had a 3-0 count. Evers got two strikes on the hitter, but then he slammed a bases-clearing double to left, increasing the Wildcats' lead to 7-3.

Sultzbaugh sparked a rally for the Owls in the ninth, leading off the inning with a triple-his team-leading sixth-and scoring on Comerota's infield single. An error by Jurica put Holt on first base and left Morris to deal with runners on the corners and no outs. Following a Hague strikeout, Seastrunk worked a walk after an 11-pitch at-bat.

Rendon, who at the time was 0-4, headed to the plate with the bases loaded and hit a dying quail to shallow right field that scored Comerota. Mozingo grounded out, but it was enough to score Holt and bring the Owls within one run of tying the game. Fuda, however, struck out to end the threat and the Wildcats prevailed 7-6.

Although Morris needed 40 pitches to get through the ninth, he did it successfully with praise for the Owls.

"They're a good team," Morris said. "Probably the best team I've faced this year, just the competitiveness . that team doesn't quit. . [I've]just got to continue to pound the zone and make them earn it."

Graham was displeased with the loss yet could see the strengths in the comeback.

"Obviously it's a disappointing loss," Graham said. "I thought our guys fought back well. . We made some mental mistakes that were surprising."

Due to Xavier's (39-20) 9-6 win in the elimination game over Sam Houston State University (36-24), Kansas State will be playing at 6 p.m. tomorrow against the winner of the afternoon game, which will be Rice and Xavier at 2 p.m.

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